Singh's heart
good,--not that he would not have done his best in any case.

"You have lost my hostage, and I hold yours," he told the Kurd, "so
now, if you want yours back you must pay whatever price I name for
them!"

"Who am I to pay a price?" the Kurd demanded. "I have neither gold
nor goods, nor anything but three hundred men!"

"Where are thy men?" asked Ranjoor Singh.

"Within an hour's ride," said the Kurd, "watching for the men who
come from Wassmuss."

"You shall have back your hostages," said Ranjoor Singh, "when I and
my men set foot in Persia!"

"How shall you reach Persia?" laughed the Kurd. "A thousand men ride
now to shut you off! Nay, give me the gold and my men, and ride back
whence you came!"

Then it was Ranjoor Singh's turn to laugh. "Sikhs who are facing
homeward turn back for nothing less than duty!" he answered. "I
shall fight the thousand men that Wassmuss sends. If they conquer me
they will take the gold and your hostages as well."

The Kurd looked amazed. Then he looked thoughtful. Then acquisitive--very
acquisitive indeed. It seemed to me that he contemplated
fighting us first, before the Wassmuss men could come. But Ranjoor
Singh understood him better. That Kurd was no fool--only a savage,
with a great hunger in him to become powerful.

"My men are seasoned warriors," said Ranjoor Singh, "and being men
of our word first and last, we are good allies. Has my brother a
suggestion?"

"What if I help you into Persia?" said the Kurd.

But Ranjoor Singh was wary. "Help me in what way?" he asked, and the
Kurd saw it was no use to try trickery.

"What if I and my men fight beside you and yours, and so you win
through to Persia?" asked the Kurd.

"As I said," said Ranjoor Singh, "you shall have back your hostages
on the day we set foot in Persia."

"But the gold!" said the Kurd. "But the gold!"

"Half of the gold you shall have on the third day after we reach
Persia," said Ranjoor Singh.

Well, sahib, as to that they higgled and bargained for another hour,
Ranjoor Singh yielding little by little until at last the bargain
stood that the Kurd should have all the gold except one chest on the
seventh day after we reached Persia. Thus, the Kurds would be
obliged to give us escort well on our way. But the bargaining was
not over yet. It was finally agreed that after we reached Persia,
provided the Kurds helped us bravely and with good faith, on the
first day we would give them back th